Unsolved History Season 2 Episode 9 St. Valentine's Day Massacre
- TV-PG
- February 10, 2004
- 44 min
The Unsolved History season 2 episode 9 titled "St. Valentine's Day Massacre" explores one of the most infamous crimes in American history. On February 14, 1929, seven men were gunned down in a garage on the north side of Chicago. This event came to be known as the St. Valentine's Day Massacre and was the culmination of a long-standing rivalry between two of Chicago's most powerful organized crime groups.
The episode begins with a brief overview of the rise of organized crime in America in the early 20th century. The Prohibition era created a lucrative black market for illegal alcohol and the resulting gangs and criminal empires fought fiercely for control of the trade. The episode then delves into the history of the two main gangs in Chicago at the time: the Italian American Mafia (led by Al Capone) and the Irish American North Side Gang (led by Bugs Moran).
As tensions between the two gangs reached a boiling point in early 1929, the episode examines the events leading up to the St. Valentine's Day Massacre in detail. Interviews with experts and historians provide insight into the background and motives of the individuals involved in the crime. The episode also explores the role of the media in sensationalizing the event and how this helped to immortalize the St. Valentine's Day Massacre in American pop culture.
Throughout the episode, viewers are shown archival footage and photographs of the crime scene, as well as interviews with witnesses and surviving relatives of those involved. These personal accounts add a human element to the story and help to convey the impact that the St. Valentine's Day Massacre had on those directly affected by it.
The episode concludes with an examination of the aftermath of the crime and the ensuing investigations and trials. The legacy of the St. Valentine's Day Massacre is also explored, as it continues to capture the imagination of Americans nearly a century after the event. The episode leaves viewers with a deeper understanding of this tragic event and its place in American history.